This Day in History: The Chipmunks Are Number One

December 22, 1958 The Chipmunks Top the Charts. Way to go Alvin... Alvin? Alvin?! ALVIN!!!

"The Chipmunk Song" spawned what is now a franchise in children's entertainment, and it might be worth noting this is the last Christmas song that ever topped the Billboard Pop Top 100. The Chipmunks are now out with a sequel to their latest incarnation, but everybody knows their greatest era was that of the 1980s (8 seasons, from 1983 - 1990) when they were upping the speed on Michael Jackson, Bob Segar, George Thoroughgood, and The Stray Cats. The 80s resurrection of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore came after NBC had success with a one-shot Christmas Special in 1981. Here they are performing the song that made them, on the Christmas special that made them again: